Machine for topping beets.



No. 664,420; Patented Dec. 25, |900. J. H. LUHRS.

MABHINE FOR TORPIMG-BEETS.

(ApplicAtion tiled Jan. 4, 1990.)

(No Mndei.)

. WQ/q@ r onlus versus oo. womuma, wnmnnfo n c UNiTED STATES vPrfrienrrDruten.

JULIUS HEINRICH LUI-IRS, OF FRUITA, COLORADO.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING BEETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 664,420, datedDecember 25, 1900.

Application filed January 4. 1900. Serial No. 357. (No model.)

in the field and which can be drawn between rows of beets and willoperate simultaneously on the tops of two rows.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the cutters thatthey will cleanly sever the tops and likewise provide means .forregulating the distance between the cutting-blades and the ground.

A further object of the invention is to construct alight, simple, anddurable machine of the character described which may be raised readilyat the front in a manner to carry the cutters some distance from theground and enable the machine to be carried to and from the eld withoutinjury to said cutters.

The invention consists in the novel con-` struction and combination ofthe several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointedout in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forlning a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of one of the cutters. Fig. 3 is an end View of one of thecutters, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken vertically at the rearportion of theframe and illustrating the adjusting mechanism for therear of the frame.

The frame of the machine comprises an upper skeleton section 10 and alower skelef ton section 11, the upper frame-section being rectangularand the lower frame-section rectangular at the rear, at which point thetwo frame sections are connected by uprights 12, while the twoframe-sections l0 and 11 are connected at the front by inclined portions13 of the side bars of the lower framesection, being carried upward tomeet the forward end of the upper frame-section. The

chain or other form of belt 18 is carried from the sprocket-wheel over asmall sprocketwheel 19, secured to a shaft 20, which isjournaled in thelower portion of the frame between the centerand the rear of the same.This shaft 20 is adapted to carry at each of its ends a cutter A, andthe cutters extend horizontallyin opposite directions beyond the sidesof the frame. Each cutter, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 8,consists of a spider-body 2l and blades 22, which are at a right angleto the spider-arms 2l and are arranged in a horizontal plane, onelongitudinal edge of each blade being a cutting edge. If desired,however, the blades 22 may be laterally inclined to a greater or lessextent. Thus it will be observed that as the shaft 2O is revolved theblades 22 will strike the tops of the beets quite close to the groundand will sever them, and the distance between the blades is preferablysuch that as the machine is advanced when one blade has ceased operatingon the beets of a row the next succeeding blade of the same cutter willbe in position to act upon the next plant. The frame is raised andlowered so that the cutters A willcut the tops of the beets more or lessclosely to the upper surfaces of the beetroots by means of anglestub-axles 23, mounted to slide in bearings 24 at each side of the lowerportion of the Vframe near the rear, and these axles are held inadjusted position by set-screws 2b' or their equivalents. Each Vof theaxles 23 carries a small wheel 25 slightly at the rear of the cutters A.

The rear of the frame is raised and lowered to bring the cutters intoaction or to carry them out of possible engagement with the beet-roottops by means of an adjusting mechanism. (Shown in detail in Fig. 4.)This adjusting mechanism consists of a bar 27, having a longitudinalslot 28, the bar being held to slide in a guide 29, secured to the uppersection 10 of the frame at the rear, a pin 29a being passed through theguide and through IOO the slot 28. The bar 27 is provided with teeth 30in its forward edge, and these teeth are adapted to engage with amutilated gear 31, pivoted in hangers 32, attached to the upperframe-section 10, and said mutilated gear is provided with Va handle 33,whereby it may be conveniently manipulated to raise and lower therack-bar. Y This rack-bar is pivotally connected at its lower portionwith the frame of the machine by suitable rods 34:, and the handle 33 ofthe mutilated gear 31, which is practically a segmental lever, is heldin a horizontal or lower position by a hook 35, engaging with thehandle, the hook being carried by a cross-bar 36 of the frame, while anupper hook 37, attached to the upper portion ofthe rack-bar 27 ,isarranged to hold the handie of the segmental lever in its upper posi- Abearing 38 is located upon the rear lower portion of the rack-bar 27,and the spindle 39 of a caster-wheel 40 is swiveled in the said bearing38 or is mounted to turn therein in any needed direction. Handles 26aare pro-` vided at the rear of the machine, being usually a continuationof or att-ached to the upper member of the frame.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A machine fortopping beets and other plants, the machine comprising a frame, awheeled axle mounted therein at one end thereof, carrying wheels for theOpposite end thereof, a sprocket-Wheel attached to the said wheeledaxle, approximately at the longitudinal center of the machine, acutter-shaft mounted transversely in the frame and projecting beyond thesides thereof, a sprocketwheel attached to the cutter-shaft, a chainrunning between the sprocket-wheels to drive the cutter-shaft, andcutters attached to the respective ends of the cutter-shaft outside theframe, the cutters each comprising a spiderlike body having bladesextended outward from the arms thereof approximately at right anglesthereto so as to lie in the plane of lthe ground.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

.JULIUS HEINRICH LUI-IRS.

Witnesses:

SQUIRE G. LANE, M. F. SKELLY.

